16 Places That Will Actually Pay You to Live There

Posted by Doug Murray on March 28, 2018

Would you like to start a new life somewhere else? Then why not move to a place that wants you to live there so much that they’ll offer you cash or other incentives to relocate? Many of these communities are rural and want to draw talented people to help revive them, while others want to encourage new investment. Here are 16 places that will pay you to live there.

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1. Candela, Italy

Candela is a small medieval town in southeast Italy, with a population of around 2,700 people. According to a report by CNN, the town will pay from 800 euro for single people to 2,000 euro for families to bring younger people back into the community. The catch is that you’ll need to have a job.

2. Saskatchewan

If you’ve graduated from a Canadian post-secondary institution and you live in Saskatchewan, you can qualify for a tuition rebate of up to $20,000 under the province’s Graduate Retention Program.

You need to file your income tax return in Saskatchewan too, so be sure that you know about these Canadian tax myths.

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3. Pipestone, Manitoba

In order to encourage economic growth, the Rural Municipality of Pipestone in southwestern Manitoba will pay you a grant of up to $32,000 to start a business. You can also get a grant to help you build or buy a home and if you pay a deposit of $1,000, you can buy a lot for only $10.

4. Harmony, Minnesota

The city council of Harmony offers cash rebates ranging from US$5,000 to US$12,000 if you build a new home there. Harmony is located in southern Minnesota and is home to just over 1,000 people, including a sizable Amish community.

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5. Albinen, Switzerland

The village of Albinen in the southern part of Switzerland has a population of about 250. According to Swiss Info, you can get paid 25,000 Swiss francs per adult or 10,000 Swiss francs per child to move here.

The catch is that you have to be younger than 45, willing to invest at least 200,000 Swiss francs in property and live there for at least 10 years. However, Switzerland is one of the best countries to live and work abroad.

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6. Curtis, Nebraska

Located in southern Nebraska, Curtis has a population of just under 1,000 and is home to the Nebraska College of Technical Architecture. If you build a single family home here, you can get the lot for free if you complete the construction within a specific time period.

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7. Marne, Iowa

Located in southwestern Iowa, tiny Marne has a population of about 120, making it a great place to get away from it all. The local town council gives away free lots on which you can build a home and if you have one of these jobs for introverts, you’ll be able to work in peace.

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8. New Haven, Connecticut

The coastal city of New Haven, Connecticut is probably most famous as the home of Yale University. To encourage people to buy homes here, the Re:New Haven Initiative will lend you up to US$10,000, interest free, to use as a down-payment. The city also offers free tuition at an in-state college for kids who graduate from a public school here.

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9. Baltimore, Maryland

To get rid of eyesores in its neighbourhoods, the historic port city of Baltimore will pay you US$10,000 to buy a vacant lot and develop it. The city also offers other incentives, such as loans for home upgrades and rehab of historic properties.

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10. Chile

Start-Up Chile offers a range of programs to encourage people to settle and start businesses in the South American country. For example, you can get free funding, a one-year working visa and training or mentorship.

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11. Kansas

If you're an American or dual-citizen and want to pay off your student loan fast, think about Kansas. The state has identified 77 counties as Rural Opportunity Zones, where they’ll pay up to US$15,000 of your student loan and/or give you a state income tax waiver for up to five years if you move there. These counties are spread throughout the state.

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12. Alaska

Alaska has a variety of assistance programs to encourage people to buy property there. The state also pays an annual dividend to its permanent residents so they can share in the revenue coming from Alaska’s oil and mineral resources.

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13. Detroit, Michigan

Detroit has an incentive program called Live Midtown to encourage people to live in one of the most underrated cities in the world. For example, if you buy a property in one of the designated neighbourhoods you can get a forgivable loan of up to US$20,000. If you rent, you can get US$2,500 for the first year and US$1,000 for the second year.

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14. New Richland, Minnesota

With a population of around 1,200, New Richland is a farming town in southern Minnesota. If you build in the community’s Homestake subdivision, you can get the land for free. With a golf course and hiking trails nearby, you can live a life of leisure.

15. Yukon

Under Yukon’s Agricultural Land Program, you can get up to 65 hectares of free land in the territory, provided you’re willing to farm it for at least seven years. You have to be Canadian or a permanent resident and have been living in the Yukon for more than a year to qualify. The main drawback is that the Yukon is one of the coldest places where people live.

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16. Mauritius

Mauritius may not have that many secluded beach gems anymore but it’s still a tropical paradise. Under the Mauritius Business Growth Scheme, you can get paid up to 20,000 Mauritian rupees per month for a year if you start a business there. However, your product has to be fresh, innovative and unique.